Wednesday, May 4, 2016

FRC reminds us just how much they favor the right to discriminate against LGBT citizens

Tony Perkins is a hate group leader and Family Research Council is designated as a hate group for good cause. Perkins doesn't seem to be interested in removing that stigma from his organization. In an email to supporters titled “What are they planning now?” Perkins writes:

We can't allow the Equality Act to become law.

Pelosi stated, "[ENDA] was really a very important piece of the agenda. But as we were seeing the successes and the momentum of especially marriage equality, we saw the opportunity to do something bigger." That something bigger is the Equality Act (S. 1858 and H.R. 3185).

Why is this concerning for Americans of faith? The bill adds "sexual orientation and gender identity" (SOGI) to 25 areas of federal law as if these subjective characterizations were similar to race and gender, which are unchanging and identifiable at birth. At the same time, the bill attacks legal protections for people of faith, limiting your right to use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a legal recourse to defend yourself in court against its provisions.

The Equality Act gives the federal government even more control in "credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing, jury service, and public accommodations," and other areas of law.

Even if I agree with the argument (I do not) I concede that I never knew that religion was “similar to race and gender, which are unchanging and identifiable at birth.” Yet religion is protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Moreover, as a general proposition, sexual orientation and sexual identity are innate and immutable. There is some fluidity in both but science knows of no way to influence whatever fluidity there is. It is intellectually dishonest to discuss either as if they are changeable.

The last paragraph is factually accurate. It begs the question of why LGBT citizens should be subjected to discrimination “in credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing, jury service, and public accommodations, and other areas of law.”

I am skipping over the all-too-familiar nonsense about bathrooms and bakers (it is just too tedious) to arrive at:

The legislation also dramatically limits the ability of people who
object to its requirements from seeking accommodations based on their
religious beliefs about natural marriage. Thus, in the battle between
freedom and special rights for LGBT activists, the Equality Act strips conscientious objectors of their freedom and would, by law, require their compliance with the LGBT agenda.

The idea that people require accommodations is dishonest. No, we won't give Christians the right to demonstrate their disapproval by refusing service. Just as we do not permit them the right to refuse service interracial couples, Jews and Muslims. That is a special right. If you object to same-sex marriage then don't enter into one. Conscientious objection is just a cover for bigotry. Haven't we all had enough of that?

The demise of Ted Cruz informs us that Christians might no longer have a stranglehold on the Republican party. I don't know if we can change the composition of the House in this election cycle. It is possible. We can certainly change the composition of the Senate and while that will not permit passage of the Equality Act, it's a start.